Happy Accidents
by Sagecycle
Summary: Mai could tell something was wrong. Her hair stood on end and her body felt cold. The eyes of the truck driver met hers, and with an evil smile, her world was forever changed.


Mai knew they were in trouble the second a shiver crept up her spine and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Lin and Naru were arguing up front about something she couldn't have cared less about, totally unaware of the sudden urge to get out, to escape that came over the small assistant in the back. Her eyes flicked to the surrounding traffic they were currently stuck in, her mind working a mile a minute as she found the cause of the problem.

It was as if time came to a stand still. Her eyes met with the driver of a truck, and for the first time in her life, she felt true fear. The two up front had yet to realize the danger heading their way, too busy arguing amongst themselves. Mai watched as the truck driver grinned at her momentarily before the sound of blaring horns filled her ears and startled the two men out of their argument. It was too late to avoid the truck and they met head on. Mai had managed to unbuckle her seatbelt and launch herself into the front seat, covering the two men from the shattering glass and the crumpling of the front of the cab.

She couldn't however, stop herself from being flung out of the now open windshield and onto the pavement, skidding a few feet before the friction of the asphalt pulled her to a halt. Finding herself facing upward, her eyes trained on the clouds in the sky, she could faintly hear the squealing of brakes and the wind of cars swerving around the mess, could occasionally see cars whip by her head a little too close for comfort. Sirens in the background could be heard, along with the honking of car horns as traffic only got worse.

Her body was going numb, her limbs growing cold as she lay on the ground, staring into the vastness of the open sky. A small smile spread across her face as she saw a few birds fly past, twittering happily to themselves. She closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself a moment to breath before she opened them again. The smile on her face was soon replaced with a grimace. She was regaining some feeling in her body.

She could feel the way her arms felt as if they were on fire, her legs too. Her back protested lying on the ground but she couldn't find the strength to move into a more comfortable position. Her head felt fuzzy and her vision began to blur around the edges. Before she could close her eyes to relax, a face came into view. A few cuts littered his face, otherwise he looked fine. His eyes were wide in disbelief, hands shaking as he reached for her head and once he made contact, a pain unlike any other flaired to life.

A broken cry poured from her lips. He pulled his hand back to stare down at his fingers. Red stained them and dripped down his arm. When he looked back up to meet her gaze, she could see them starting to mist over. His head snapped to the side, his mouth opening to give a command that didn't quite reach her ears. She blinked again.

When her eyes reopened, his face was closer now, tears sliding down the sides of his cheeks and his face all red and blotchy. Her brow furrowed in confusion. Why was he crying? She tried to lift her arm to place a hand to his cheek, but all she could manage was a twitch of her fingers. Her brow furrowed more. Why couldn't she move? Where was she? Her eyes never left the young man's, even when she slowly forgot who he even was. His hair and bloodshot eyes seemed very familiar to the girl, but she couldn't remember his name. She could vaguely feel his hand brushing her hair from her face, tears still dripping from his chin and landing on her own cheeks.

Her eyes slowly drooped. Her breathing grew labored. Her body was once again going numb. The man above her seemed to notice too, judging from the way his own eyes widened before even more tears slipped down his cheeks. His mouth opened and Mai could barely make out the cries that came from the man. He dipped his head down and placed his forehead against hers, noses brushing against one another as his eyes slipped closed. The urge to touch his face came back, stronger this time. Despite the exhaustion pulling her body down, she managed to raise her hand and place it on the back of his head. This would have to do. His eyes snapped open the second her hand came in contact with his hair.

Mai noticed just how soft it was. A small smile formed on her face, her fingers lazily tangling themselves into the strands of black hair. Tears still dripped onto her cheeks, once again reminding her of her task.

"...Don't cry…" Her voice came out quiet and strained.

The man above her seemed to process her words for a moment. Slowly, the tears stopped falling. His cheeks still wet from the previous tears were left alone, he didn't have the time to brush them away. Mai however found the tear tracks to be distracting. Her hand lowered to his cheek, her thumb brushing the remaining wetness away. Her eyes lifted back to meet his. The sound of the sirens sounded so much closer now. She offered him another small smile, her heart beating fast in her chest once she got one back. The smile on his face was definitely forced on his part, she could tell by the tremble in his lips and the mistiness of his eyes. Despite it being fake, the way his face looked while smiling made her smile grow.

Her thumb brushed over his lips, eyes tracing the trail she made until they rose once more to meet his. The tears she saw in his eyes were gone, instead replaced with a fondness she hadn't seen before. Her lips parted, her tongue wetting them before the man bent forward and his lips were pressed against hers. Her eyes slid closed, her hand resting on his cheek moved to the back of his neck slowly. The kiss lasted a few moments before the sound of sirens grew to be unignorable. His lips pulled away from hers, his face staying in view for a moment longer before he was pulled away by another familiar face blocked by bangs. Hands were suddenly everywhere, poking and prodding her as voices surrounded her and made her tense. Squeezing her eyes closed, she sucked in a breath, suddenly terrified of what was happening.

A voice cut through the chatter, drawing the air she had in her lungs back out and forcing her body to relax.

"Just breathe Mai. You'll be fine." The voice spoke, and she wasn't sure she truly heard it.

With those words, she was reminded of just how tired she was. Against her wishes, her eyes slipped closed.

Naru noticed at the last second what happened. The squealing of brakes and horns honking rang loudly in his ears as the van ran head in to a large u-haul. The body that flung itself into his lap and protected the two up front had his blood running cold. He tried to hold the girl to him, but the momentum she had picked up from the sudden stop flung her from the shattered windshield and into the traffic outside. His eyes watched as she skidded a few meters before coming to a stop. The way she lay still on the asphalt brought memories rushing back to him, the body of his brother lying on the street in the back of his mind. As soon as the image was crossing his mind, it was gone and there lay the body of his assistant. Her back seemed to bend at an unnatural angle as she lay face up, her eyes open and staring up at the sky blankly.

Shaking himself from his stupor, he pushed the door open and ignored the way his other assistant called for him to come back. Lin would have to wait. He found himself kneeled down next to her body, watching as her chest rose and fell softly. Her eyes were closed. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes as he fought against moving her. Once her eyes slid open and hers met with his, he couldn't ignore the burning any further. Tears slipped down his cheeks as he took in the mangled form of Mai. Her brown hair tinted red in certain places, how some of it clung to her forehead. He made an unconscious decision to brush the strands out of the way, and the broken cry that slipped from her lips had the tears spilling down faster. He bent forward, placing his forehead to hers as he cried, his eyes sliding closed to hopefully ignore the sounds and sights around him. He could almost imagine that she had simply fallen asleep on the couch in base.

His eyes snapped open once he felt a hand on his head. Her eyes were watching him, a furrow in her brow as she took in his face. Her mouth opened and her voice, so scratchy and muted told him to not cry and it was as if the tears had dried. The smile on her face brought one to his, despite the way his eyes misted over as she sagged ever so slightly. The sound of sirens grew closer. Watching as she licked her lips, he bent further down, pressing his against hers. He wasn't sure how to feel about this. It felt as if he were saying goodbye to her. Tears he tried to keep at bay once again slipped down his cheeks and dripped off his chin. If she noticed, she didn't say anything as the sound of sirens and lights surrounded him. Arms wrapped themselves around his waist and hauled him away from her. His eyes widened in surprise, and he struggled in their hold before a familiar voice spoke into his ear.

"We have to let them through, Noll." The calm voice of his assistant made him go limp, head dropping to meet with his chest at the sight of the paramedics came rushing from all sides to tend to the girl on the ground.

He couldn't stand to look at this any longer. Lin watched, stone faced as the girl was lifted from the ground carefully and placed into a gurney, before she was toted off towards an ambulance. Another paramedic stepped towards them, checking them both over before he offered one of them to ride in the back to the hospital. Naru looked up, eyes shining as he nodded his head and allowed the man to guide him towards the ambulance. Lin watched as the doors were closed and the ambulance sped off, its sirens and lights on the entire way back. Digging around in his pocket, he found his phone buried in his pants and considered on whether he should call anyone.

Biting the bullet, he dialed the number and the sound of a middle aged woman answering the phone had him sighing in relief.

"Luella, something's happened."

The ride to the hospital was nerve racking. The life support that Mai was placed on the second she got into the ambulance doing little to actually help her. On the ride there, her heart stopped twice, but the paramedics were prepared and were able to resuscitate her both times. Naru watched with bated breath as the hospital came into view and once the vehicle was pulled to a complete stop, Mai was being hauled out of the back and rushed inside. Naru struggled to keep up with them, his heart in his throat as she disappeared behind doors that nurses refused to let him go past. He struggled in their hold, but ultimately he resigned to his fate. Sitting down on a chair in direct view of the doors, he closed his eyes. Behind his eyelids, all he saw was the broken form of the girl that meant so much more to him than just an assistant.

He bit his lip, ignoring the way his eyes stung as he reclined back on the plastic chair. About thirty minutes later, Lin showed up, saying nothing as he sat down beside the younger man. They stayed like that for hours, waiting patiently for any news of the girl that came in. Five hours later, a doctor dressed in blue came out, the mask on his face and gloves on his hand speaking volumes of where he's been. Without pause, the doctor came over to them and discussed the damage that had been done.

"Miss Taniyama was lucky. The damage to her spinal column was fixable, and we must wait to see how it affected her ability to walk. Her skull was fractured in two spots, something we had to fix immediately. She has a serious concussion and has been put on many forms of pain medication seeing as how we can't put her under due to the concussion. Once signs of that goes away we may have to sedate her, allowing her body to rest so she can recover. A few ribs were bruised, her left shoulder was dislocated, but other than that she received little injuries beyond that. It was a miracle that she only sustained those." Air that Naru didn't know he held in his lungs rushed out with those words.

Mai was going to be okay. His body sagged in relief. Lin seemed relieved with those words as well, his shoulders slouching ever so slightly. With a quick thank you, the doctor went back behind the doors, telling them both that once she was stable, they would be permitted to see her. The sound of the beeping of machines and the scent of cleaning products always made Naru so uncomfortable. But waiting there for a nurse to come get them to lead them to the room Mai was placed in seemed to go by quickly. The small window on the door allowed him to see her before the door was opened. A breathing tube was placed in her mouth, hooking her up to a ventilator. connected to her arms, a heartbeat monitor on her finger. She looked like she was made of wires.

Naru took a seat beside the bed, his eyes raking over her, looking for any other form of discomfort before he allowed himself to grasp her hand in his, running his thumb over her knuckles. Days had gone by exactly like the last. Naru would come visit during visiting hours, sitting beside the girl as she slept soundly, his hand holding hers until she would wake. Days turned into weeks. Until about a month and a half in, when her eyes slowly fluttered open and a groan slipped past her lips. Naru's head snapped up, book entirely forgotten as her eyes met with his and she was suddenly crying. Pressing a button for a nurse, he allowed the girl to grip onto his hand for comfort.

Nurses came in to check her vitals and take her off of some machines. They checked her ability to recall events and names before they all left, leaving the two alone once more. Lin was bound to come back soon. The tears that slipped down her face lessened until all that was left were sniffles.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Mai spoke, her voice hoarse with unuse.

Suddenly Naru was angry.

"You're glad I'm okay? Mai you died! Twice! Do you know how worried I was?!" Naru felt tears prick the corners of his eyes but he ignored them. "You can't keep doing things like this! One day you won't be okay! I can't-! I can't lose someone else…"

All the anger that had built up in him burnt out almost immediately. Mai watched as he broke down, flopping back into the chair he had placed by the bed as he covered his eyes with his arm. A burning in her chest made her sit up despite the pain in her back. She managed to pull herself closer to the man, her legs dangling off the cot as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. His arms came to wrap around her waist, holding her to him as he buried his face into her neck, the warmth of his tears feeling strange against her skin.

They stayed like that for awhile, neither one of them willing to pull away after so long. The sound of the door opening and closing the only thing that pulled them apart. Lin stood in the doorway, holding a small gift basket for the girl. A giggle bubbled up in her chest and she laughed as the man flushed a light shade of pink. Accepting the gift, she thanked the man. Later that day, her friends all stopped by to visit and the entire hospital room was filled with chatter. Naru stayed by her side for the rest of the day.

Her physical therapy lasted about as long as her coma, but within three months, it was as if the accident hadn't happened. She was finally allowed to come back on cases, instead of being stuck at the office, taking phone calls and sorting files. Their kiss they shared hadn't been brought up once. About four months after the accident, Mai found herself bored at her desk in the office. It had been a few days since their last case and she was growing restless. Checking the time on her watch, she figured it would be about time to prepare some tea.

The process had always calmed her, even if she complained about making it so much, she really didn't mind it. She made sure to make enough for three cups, one for each of them in the office. Placing one at her desk, she knocked on Lin's door, waiting for him to allow her in before she placed on at his desk and slipped back out. The small trek to Naru's office took less than two seconds, but the nerves that built up with each passing of time seemed to build until the tray she held seemed to weigh a ton. Knocking at the door, she didn't wait to come in, knowing by now he would be too busy to notice.

She let herself in, taking notice of the way he held his head in his hand as he read over something on his desk. A small smile spread across her face. It was a good thing she made tea when she did. Placing the mug down beside him on the coaster, she sat on the chair across from him. He reached for the tea and took a sip, sighing once the liquid hit his tongue. He allowed himself to take a break from the reading. He looked up to see that Mai hadn't left and was busying herself with tidying up the office space. Papers that slipped out of their spots were put back and things on the floor were picked up and tossed out if needed be. Naru relaxed, leaning back in his chair as he sipped at his tea.

"Mai." His voice interrupted her as she bent down to pick up a small piece of trash.

Turning back to face him, her confusion must've shown on her face for he beckoned her closer. Now thoroughly confused, she did as he requested, coming to stop in front of his desk once more. She waited as he stood from his seat, easily towering over her. His hands placed themselves against the top of his desk and suddenly his lips met hers. Immediately she melted, kissing him back. It was the same as last time, too short for either of them to enjoy, but long enough it got both of their hearts racing.

"Did you want to go and get something to eat after work this afternoon?" Naru asked, watching in mild amusement as the female flushed before she nodded her head yes repeatedly.

With a final kiss, he dismissed her, allowing the girl to retreat back to her desk where her tea lay cold.


End file.
